• Section 1 - Key Information
• Section 2 - Purpose
• Section 3 - Scope
• Section 4 - Key Decisions
• Section 5 - Policy Statement
• Section 6 - Procedures
• Part A - Responsibilities
• Part B - Return to Work Program, Plan and Offer of Suitable Employment
• Part C - Role of Injury Management
• Section 7 - Definitions
• Section 8 - Authority and Associated Information

Section 1 - Key Information

Section 2 - Purpose

(1) To promote occupational rehabilitation for injured employees to enable an early, safe and sustainable return to work.

(2) Injury management is the coordinated and integrated management process involving early intervention with appropriate, adequate and timely services based on assessed needs. Its aim is to restore injured staff members to the highest possible level of functioning following an injury or illness.

(3) Effective injury management commences as soon as possible after an injury or illness is reported and takes account of the individual’s state of personal well being as well as physical recovery.

(4) These services are available to all staff whether the injury or illness is work related or not and can be provided either by appropriate university staff or by external consultants.

Section 3 - Scope

(5) This Policy applies to:

1. all staff

Section 4 - Key Decisions

Section 5 - Policy Statement

(6) La Trobe University is committed to actively promoting and providing occupational rehabilitation and return to work services for all employees with injuries or illnesses that may affect their employment.

(7) Rehabilitation will be achieved through:

1. Immediate consultation with the Injury and Workplace Support Consultant;
2. Where practicable, ensuring that rehabilitation and return to work activities commence immediately, or as soon as possible to ensure the earliest possible return to pre-injury employment;
3. Ensuring that effective procedures are in place to support early, safe and durable return to work;
4. Where practicable or legislatively required, ensuring return to work duties, including modified or alternate duties, are made available where practicable to assist the injured staff member to remain at work;
5. Maintaining the confidentiality of information relating to staff participating in occupational rehabilitation in accordance with privacy legislation;
6. Ensuring that return to work information is maintained accurately and correctly in accordance to relevant privacy and WorkSafe guidelines.

Section 6 - Procedures

Part A - Responsibilities

(8) The Injury and Workplace Support Consultant is responsible for:

1. Assisting injured staff where practicable to remain at or return to work;
2. Commencing occupational rehabilitation as early as possible and practicable;
3. Liaising with injured staff, their supervisor and their treating medical and health professionals as soon as possible and where required;
4. Monitoring the progress of injured staff;
5. Preparing a return-to-work plan where appropriate in consultation with all parties concerned.

(9) Heads of School and Divisional Managers are responsible for:

1. Providing or identifying suitable duties for injured staff in consultation with the Injury and Workplace Support Consultant;
2. Ensuring the work environment is suitable and that any workplace restrictions are able to be accommodated whilst undertaking suitable duties;
3. Supporting the staff member and the return-to-work program;
4. Liaising with Injury Services on matters relating to the staff member’s return to work program or relevant questions and queries.

(10) All staff are responsible for:

1. Immediately reporting all injuries or illnesses to their supervisor that may be work related or may affect their ability to perform their duties;
2. Co-operating with the University to enable it to meet its rehabilitation obligations;
3. Submitting all relevant medical certificates and reports promptly, together with leave applications for absences;
4. Attending medical examinations relating to the actual injury or illness as arranged by the University or its insurers (reasonable costs associated with such examinations to be borne by the University or its insurers);
5. Assisting with any medical and like case conferencing so as to ensure safe and durable return to work outcomes to pre-injury level;
6. Co-operating with reasonable workplace changes designed to assist the rehabilitation of another employee. This may involve alternate duties in another area / department if workplace restrictions are not able to be adhered to in their pre-injury area.

Part B - Return to Work Program, Plan and Offer of Suitable Employment

(11) In cases where a staff member’s duties are affected by their injury or illness, a Return-to-Work Program can be developed in consultation with all parties concerned.

(12) The Return-to-Work Plan sets out in writing the arrangements necessary to maintain an injured or ill employee at work or return them to work.

(13) The Return-to-Work Plan notes basic details regarding the injury or illness and the key parties involved in providing support services, i.e. treating health practitioners, occupational rehabilitation consultants, etc.

Part C - Role of Injury Management

(14) The Role of Injury Management is to:

1. Assist injured or ill staff where practicable to remain at, or return to, work
2. Commence injury management support as early as possible
3. Implement early intervention strategies as soon as possible
4. Liaise with the staff member, their supervisor and treating medical and health professionals to identify how best to support that person via the injury management program
5. Attend medical and like case conferencing to ensure safe and durable return to work outcomes
6. Monitor the progress of the staff member with respect to return to work programs
7. Prepare Return-to-Work plans where appropriate
8. Support additional administration functions including payroll activities, invoicing etc

Part D - Appointment of an Injury and Workplace Support Consultant

(15) The Injury and Workplace Support Consultant is appointed by the University. The name and contact details is published on the HR Injury Management (intranet).

Section 7 - Definitions

(16) For the purpose of this Policy and Procedure:

1. Injury and Workplace Support Consultant: Nominated persons who advise employees and the workplace in regard to injury management and Workers Compensation matters.
2. Occupational Rehabilitation: Process and practice of returning injured workers to a level of work activity that is appropriate to their functional and cognitive capacity.
3. Rehabilitation: Process of restoring those who are ill or injured to the fullest physical, psychological, social, vocational and economic usefulness of which they are capable.

Section 8 - Authority and Associated Information

(17) This Policy is made under the La Trobe University Act 2009.

1. HR Injury Management (intranet)